BAGUIO CITY -- A combined team from the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) and the Philippine National Police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in the Cordillera region arrested three vendors over the weekend and seized 204 kilos of dog meat they were selling at the city's public market.

The police arrested vendors Allan Corpus, 25 and Willy Poquis, 24, both of 2 Lower P. Burgos and Rince Montano, 45, of 243 Upper Quezon Hill, for violating Republic Act 7394, or the Consumers Act of the Philippines.

The law prohibits the sale of meat found to be injurious, unsafe and dangerous for human consumption. The three will also be charged for selling the meat of slaughtered animals that were not submitted for government examination.

The authorities said NMIS Meat Safety Officer Dr. Florentino Pintor had warned the group to stop selling dog meat inside the Baguio Public Market last Oct. 12.

Pintor again gave them a final warning last December but the group continued to sell the dog meat. Pintor asked Brando Gegway of the Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF), who asked the police to help them seize the contraband.

Supt. Marvin Bolabola, director of CIDG Cordillera regional office deputized Inspector Renato Libunao and SPO4 Zaldy Garcia to assist NMIS and AKF. Pintor explained that the law does not consider dog meat as food and its sale is illegal.

courtesy of Manila Standard
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